Thoughts on culture and events by author and illustrator Christopher R Taylor

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

SIGNS OF THE APOCALYPSE, 1

"This is a country that champions civil liberties all the time. So why would a transit agency take it upon themselves to trample on civil liberties?"

We're doomed. I don't know if this is just as a nation or as a people on earth, but we're doomed. Here's an example.

In San Francisco, they began offering wi-fi on the BART light rail system. BART was one of the first of these money-soaking rails installed, designed to move people around so they didn't have to build better streets and put in more parking. The Wi-Fi system costs about thirty dollars a month and began in 2009. Now people riding on the light rail system can use their notepads and laptops without losing internet connection.

Then, in early July, a bum threw a vodka bottle at a BART cop, then charged him with a knife. The cop drew his service pistol and ordered him to put his knife down, but the bum would not, so the cop shot the man. The bum later died. So a protest started up, yelling at cops. They blocked BART stations and chanted slogans.

BART responded by shutting off the wi-fi, hoping to drive the largely net-addicted youths away from the station. They responded by having an even bigger protest, fueled by idiots from the pervert center 4chan called "anonymous." BART had to shut down three stations as these protesters yelled about how mean it was for a cop to defend himself, while people were stranded trying to get to work or go home. Hackers infiltrated the BART website on Sunday and released personal information on 20,000 customers, apparently trying to harm the rail line.

All the while, the people, including BART directors, who demanded their wi-fi be turned on again complained that their civil liberties were being cut off:

"We put ourselves on the radar screen for no good reason. This is a country that champions civil liberties all the time. So why would a transit agency take it upon themselves to trample on civil liberties?"

Are you serious, Lynette Sweet? You think a paid service is a matter of liberty and human rights?

And that's what we're left with. People almost rioting over having their internet connection cut off for a few hours, protesting cops defending themselves, and blocking people going home from work. To make ... well some sort of statement, its not easy to tell what exactly these idiots were trying to say.